One of a Perfect Pair July 7, 2009

This pattern comes from Philosophers Wool   “Sock Hop” book.  It’s patterns are incomparable, so perfect, even a designer such as myself cannot improve upon them.  Knit in Sisu 75% wool 25% acrylic.  Although, honestly the yarn is a bit rough on bare feet, it suffices with thin cotton socks underneath in these upstate New York winters.  If I were using them to keep the feet warm in the woods of course the cotton wouldn’t do, but for city living…… I call the color scheme Sol Y Mar a nice image in the dead of winter, to see the sun and sea, imagine sailing on an Aegean sea toes basking in the sun.   Ahhh.   I used my size 3 bamboo double points.  (I despise metal for double point needles too slippery and always losing stitches off the end).  I also use a two finger carry method, since the patterns never use more than two yarns at one time for a pattern (which is one of the reasons they are so incredibly workable), if I had a third yarn color I would use a continental on the left hand but with only two I use my index finger for the main color and the middle finger for the second color.  It is a fast way of knitting the patterns, at least for me.  Although the pattern calls for one color on the toe, I knit in a second color, this adds an additional layer of knitting which is not too bulky but seems warmer to my toes even if it is only in my head. 

Sol Y Mar

In search of … socks July 6, 2009

I set myself up to sit on the front porch with a bottle of kombochu, purchased at the health food store while I was there buying my neighbor some crystalized ginger and ginger tea.  His cancer treatment has left him unable to taste and someone told him to eat ginger,  he told me he was going to eat the powdered cooking ginger and I told him NO don’t eat that.  Just wait I will be back in a little while.  After yoga I went to the store and bought him a bag.  He isn’t home when I get back but shortly after rings my bell, after I give him the tea and ginger he tells me “thank you, dear”.  I smile. 

I am looking for my socks the wool ones I started a couple weeks ago.  Royal blue, teal, moss green, yellow and white patterned wool socks.  In my quest I discover two other projects I have forgotten about, on needles.  As I hunt for the socks I curse, shit shit shit.  I am not done with my frenzy of knitting off needles, shit shit shit.  I find my socks and tell my daughter “vampira” to join me on the steps.  She leans into me and I find it impossible to knit.  After a moment I say hey read your book I am trying to knit here.  She wraps both of her arms around me squeezing my arms so I cannot move them and puts her legs over my lap.  I scream in mock horror.  She giggles.  She says she wants me to make her mittens in the patterns I am making into socks.  Really?  I ask, dubious, will you actually wear them?  She gives me an eye like the ogress on the Dark Crystal.  Okay I say but if I make them you have to wear them.  Oh no I think,  I am beginning to fill my needles again….shit shit shit.  Not really though.  I love it.

Knitting off all my needles July 4, 2009

It is becoming a family joke, how many projects do I have on the needles.  My best friend has one going at a time.  Mind you I am not exclusively a knitting needle filler, I have just as many half read books by my bed.  So many that I have skipped vacuuming and the dog hair has has piled up around them.  It is time to use my vacation wisely, time to vacuum dust and mop my bedroom.  This week I have knitted off one sweater vest, and am almost done with the sleeves of the linen sweater, I would be done if the damn stitches didn’t slip off the back ends of the double pointed needles.  Infuriating.  I have a gold fuzzy purse and a pair of wool socks after this and then I can begin again.  I truly cannot see only having one set with knitting on it.  I cannot take an afghan to the doctors office but a purse is easy to carry off with but one or two small skeins to place in a bag, and only the size of a bag altogether.  

Lion Brand Chunky Wool Vest of my own design

Purple Linen T-shirt of my own design Using Louet Linen

Holiday Yarns July 2, 2009

Banana Soy Wool Roving

I discovered a new store yesterday, Holiday Yarns.  I was at a quilt store here in town and the woman gave me a card for a new store in one of the disintegrating malls.  I went in yesterday and have discovered a new treasure, she sells hand dyed yarns, socks, bats, looms, spinning wheels and sheep oriented buttons, pins etc..  I bought a small ball of alpaca rovings just to try it out.  I also purchased four oz. of what she calls “Build a Bat”.  For 6$ an ounce you pick out fibers of your choice with wool as the main fiber, and while you are shopping she cards it on a drum carder and gives you your bat of mixed fibers.  I picked some gorgeous undyed soy silk and some banana fibers  to mix in.  I now have two gorgeous soft luxiourious bats of moss green rovings.  I spun off all of my hot pink rovings just so I could try out my green, oh it is so lovely to work with.

Oh Dear I Think I May Be Addicted to Yarn. June 30, 2009

Sirdar Snuggly babybamboo

Ella Rae Amity afghan yarns

So I have been dutifully working to knit off many projects from needles.  I had run out of needles onto which to add new projects so I vowed to no longer start any projects until I had finished EVERYTHING I had started. Ha. Ha. Ha.  Since then I had to rip off a purse from one set of needles to knit a sweater for Olive (see previous post)  I started a skirt after ripping out a cotton silk blend in a lovely purple that was the most awful sweater ever,  looked HORRENDOUS on me.  I also started a pair of green, teal, blue and yellow wool socks.  But today I finished a wool vest for Morgan and now have exactly four more rows to knit on a linen sweater I started three (or was it four?) years ago.  But then I had to go to a yarn store with my Mom and had to buy yarn to knit an afghan for a coworker who is getting married, and yarn to make a 2 baby sweaters to sell at the Plowshares Festival next year.  Oh and did I mention the afghan book and the baby sweater books I had to purchase because I cannot make up my own patterns without a baby to measure and I am afghan clueless.  Sweaters for the daughter or me, a hat, socks, mittens, fingerless gloves yes.  Baby sweaters and afghans not so much.  But after this no holds barred.  I came home and immediately started knitting.  I have a baby sweater to finish and a bag I will never finish and that purse to stick back on the needles and finish.  Then afghan and baby sweaters here I come.  Oh I cannot wait.  Did I mention that my hemp satchel is full of yarn oh over flowing, and my little settee, and the cupboard and the shelves and the little mini cart.  Oh forget it. I LOVE YARN!!!!!

Olive Ewe June 22, 2009

Once long ago we said “three” instead of I love you but now there are only two, so we say “olive ewe”.  Olive is a gift to my daughter upon her high school graduation.  Her body is made of olive printed cotton fabric, she has batik fabric ears, tail, udder and hooves.  She is wearing a homespun wool sweater in beige and violet. 

Olive the Ewe

 

Olive Ewe

Wool June 22, 2009

I love the smell of my rovings, that particular sheep smell.  When I spin with it and later as I knit with it.  I breathe in through my nose and the smell is like fresh baked bread in that it is almost intoxicating.  I try knitting a sweater for a stuffed animal with my first attempt at drop spindle, then the thinner more springy second attempt.  I look at my first attempt on the spinning wheel, Bad Acid, and am doubtful anyone would buy anything made of such ugly yarn.  I am spinning the Raspberry Sherbert, its twist more regular and less springy, the weight more regular.  I can go for quite some time now without having to rethread it.  There is a deep satisfaction in making my own yarn.

Spinning June 6, 2009

I am feeling very amatuerish after reading a book about spinning, spinning woolens spinning worsted, who knew.  I always thought woolen described the type of fiber ie from wool.  And worsted described the size of the yarn.  HA!  I have no idea what I am spinning, I fan the roving spreading it out in a triangle from the spin, sometimes long lines of fiber gets twisted in.  It is thick it is thin it is bumpy and long long lines of smooth even twist.  Oh dear I have no idea what I am doing.  Michelle asks what are you going to do with all that hot pink yarn.  Make a baby sweater I say – at least my mistakes will only be worn for a short period and then put into goodwill.  I will not label it with our business labels.  I will not lay claim to my early morning foibles and frustrations.  I have a confession this Finn sheep yarn seems to spin itself.   It is so soft I want to bury my fingers in the rovings.  I touch the yarn on the spool.  Oh it is so glorious and gorgeous.  I stop to pick out bits of hay and start again, steady even feet.  Pedal, pedal fan and twist.  I spin for a long time, better hot pink than 70’s turquoise, orange and brown – ick.  I will call it Raspberry Sherbert and the other Bad Acid.

Tatting May 31, 2009

Several years ago I had asked an older family member of a family friend to teach me how to tat.  Apparently tatting with a shuttle is quite difficult and few people can do it any more much less teach it.  Today I had the opportunity to learn how to needle tat with the Crazy Quilting maven Ms. Connie Ostness.  I found it relatively easy because it is quite similar to a knitting cast on stitch I just learned from the great grandmother of one of my elementary students.  I am really thrilled that I am learning how to do this.  Now if only I had the time to enjoy all of the wonderful things I now know how to do.  Including spinning some of the fabulous Finn Sheep yarn I bought from Elizabeth at StillMeadow Farms, a gorgeous rose and a lovely “blue jeans” indigo color. 

Finn Sheep Rovings

I want to mention this excellent book by Barbara Foster called Learn Needle Tatting Step by Step.  It is a great book with excellent photo directions.  It is very clear and easy to use.  I think I prefered to have a human teacher to show me the first steps but I know that if you are trying to learn needle tatting on your own, this book is the one to go to.   You can see my first loop, loop chain and flower with loops and chains.  I think I did really well.

First Attempts at Needle Tatting

The Truth Is May 17, 2009

The last month or so I have been diligently working to complete several projects and the truth is I have had to because I had nearly every set of needles on yarn.  When I wanted to start new projects I couldn’t find the needles.  I have sock yarn ready to go too but I cannot find my sock book, the one that is perfect, has a basic sock direction (because I always forget the turn heel part and the kitchener stitch at the toe), it also has some of the most beautiful patterns in it for color knitting, simple ones with the right number of spaces so you never get bunching or pulling in the yarn.

Uruaguay Chunky

 Some of my finishing projects are hopefully to enhance the teaching aspect of my life… a hat made of this soft fabulous cashmere and silk Uruguay Chunky yarn from Queensland Collection.  It is a gorgeous blue/indigo.  I made it too long expressly to go over a pony tail in the hair.  The pattern is my own.  Also, a purse made of Cascade Yarn,  Mission Rose carries a wide variety of colors, whenever I worked on this purse in public invariable someone would make a comment about a Madame DeFarge from A Tale of Two Cities knitting the registry at the guillotine. 

So Much Yarn

 I have been so busy with the committee I work on at work, chiropractic appointments, the curriculum writing group I work with, yoga, the Zen center, and just general yardwork and household tasks that I have had little time to actually sit down and work on my stuff.  Today I woke up at 6:45 and literally leapt out of bed.  I spent a solid hour spinning.  It was wonderful.  Now it is still before nine and I am catching up on my blogging and have a sewing project (SHH! a secret gift for someone I love).  I still need to mow the lawn, go to the grocery store, hang my second load of laundry on the clothesline and go to yoga.  I love having a day off!